Going home from the hospital earlier than expected can feel frustrating, especially if your condition worsens shortly after. If you find yourself readmitted to the hospital soon after being discharged, it could be a sign of your healthcare provider’s negligence. To protect your rights, you should be mindful of red flags indicating a premature discharge.
Unsafe discharge from the hospital
Leaving the hospital too soon can adversely affect your health, but some hospitals do this as a means of patient management when they are unstaffed. Here are some signs to watch out for that may suggest it is unsafe for you to get discharged, including:
- The hospital released you too early and you are not yet medically stable.
- You did not receive proper instructions for follow-up care or patient education.
- Your healthcare providers did not give you their contact information in case of emergencies or questions.
- Your medical providers did not give you the necessary medication and failed to involve you and your family in the discharge planning process.
If a healthcare provider discharges you from the hospital and you are not yet medically stable, any resulting harm that occurs after you leave may be the hospital’s responsibility.
Your health should be the top priority for healthcare providers. As such, they must make decisions accordingly, including when to discharge you from the hospital and go out on your own. Unsafe discharges may lead to serious consequences for your health and the healthcare providers responsible for you as a patient.
However, simply being discharged too early does not necessarily constitute malpractice or negligence. But if you notice certain signs that the hospital discharged you too quickly, you may want to talk to an attorney about the options for seeking compensation for any resulting harm.
